As Standard

From on-site or in-house training, to free installation, consultations and fully-comprehensive warranties which will take you far into the future, you will find everything is provided to compliment your system.

CIJ Printer Types & Information

Information on CIJ Printers

You will find CIJ printer offerings from a multitude of companies out there, including brands such as Domino Printing, Markem Imaje, Videojet, Linx, Willet, Hitachi, Sauven, Codebox, Euromark and of course Citronix.

So how do you pick the right one?

Crucial Considerations

Although the below points are very basic, hopefully they can help you make a decision which will ultimately be beneficial to you.

Overall reliability – MTBF & MTBM
Find out the average MBTF “Mean Time Before Failure”, this can provide a clear indication on how reliable the printer is. Another factor to look out for is the MTBM “Mean Time Between Maintenance”, the longer the duration, the less maintenance, the lower the cost over time.

What material are you looking to mark?
This dictates the kind of ink you may need and may even negate the need for a Continuous Ink Jet altogether, instead it may be more advantages to use a laser coding system.

Is it able to print as many lines you require or the kind of ink you want?
Check the amount of lines the printer will do at once. It is also worthwhile to find out how much it costs for the ink you are planning to use, or indeed if there are any other cost-effective alternatives.

What conditions will you be operating the equipment in?
Operating in humid, dusty or otherwise harsh conditions may mean you need an IP65 rated solution. It’s also worth noting that build quality differs across all manufacturers (a metal case may look ugly, but it might mean your CIJ printers can take a good bump and still operate).

What size marks are you looking to make?
Check the line height the printer is capable of to ensure it meets your needs (Citronix offer options from 0.6mm to 12mm).

The number of parts that might need replacement.
Complicated printers with more parts tend to introduce a higher chance of failure and that makes it expensive. Citronix printers tend to favour only one circuit board, other manufacturers may also do, so it’s definitely worth checking.

Support
You probably do not want to pay “call out” charges if something goes wrong, equally you shouldn’t compromise on quality. Make sure the company you are dealing with has a good history, perhaps even appointing you a dedicated Service Engineer and a good helpline.

Training
Is the training included as part of the cost, is it online, over the phone, or does it cost extra? You are the only one who knows what you might need, so check if there are any associated costs and how it is conducted.

Are components repairable?
This is something to keep your eye on, many print-heads and crucial components out there are not repairable and instead need completely replacing (an ink unit alone could set-you-back upwards of £2000).

What type and length is the warranty?
A warranty is often bundled in, but costs could be high dependent on the CIJ printer, so look for a good warranty length and check what is covered.

What speed do you need?
Often the first thing people check is how fast it can go, essentially, can it keep up. This may seem obvious, but always check the “Line Speed” and try to allow a bit of room for expansion.

Last but not least. How deep are your pockets?
Cost has a habit of factoring into all business (and personal) decisions! So ask yourself if that tiny extra bit of speed is worth the cost? Is that feature you quite like is worth the extra ink price?

If you have any questions on the above or would like a little advice, please do not hesitate to contact us on 01948 662629 or through the website. Our specialists will be more than happy to help.

Is A Continuous Ink Jet Printer Right For You?

Identification is a vital part of manufacture, you will find some kind of marking technology used on almost every product you find in life.

There are a wealth of marking technologies on the market from non-contact, high speed systems such as laser marking systems and continuous inkjet printers (such as our Citronix printers), to drop-on-demand systems and more traditional methodology.

The range of systems is extensive to say the least. However, Continuous Inkjet Printers (CIJ) usually provide amongst the best reliability, speed and arguably the lowest cost of ownership. Different technologies excel, or are designed to work exclusively to mark certain products, so is a CIJ printer the correct solution for you?